Black, White and Green Pepper Are the Same Berry
Pepper is a spice from a climbing vine. The colours differ only in when the berry is picked and how it is processed.
Pepper is the dried fruit of *Piper nigrum*, a climbing vine. The colours are processing, not species: green peppercorns are picked unripe and preserved, black are picked unripe and dried until the skin blackens, and white are ripe berries with the outer layer removed. Chilli peppers are unrelated, named by confused European explorers.
- A spice. *Salt and pepper.*
- A capsicum. *A red pepper.*
- To sprinkle. *Peppered with mistakes.*
- Peppercorn rent — a nominal rent. *A peppercorn rent.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | pepper | Ground pepper. |
| Plural | peppers | Sweet peppers. |
| Verb | pepper | Pepper the sauce. |
| Species | Piper nigrum | Piper nigrum. |
| Related | piperine | Piperine, the pungent compound. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Black and white pepper are the same berry.Processed differently.
- A peppercorn rent is nominal.Legally sufficient but worthless.
- Chillies were named pepper by mistake.Columbus was looking for the spice.
Kinds of pepper
- Black — unripe berries dried whole
- White — ripe berries with the skin removed
- Green — unripe berries preserved fresh
- Pink — usually from an unrelated tree
- Chilli — from Capsicum, unrelated but named by confusion
From Old English *pipor*, from Latin *piper*, from Greek *peperi*, ultimately from Sanskrit *pippali*.
Why are chillies called peppers?
Because Columbus was seeking black pepper and applied the familiar name to the pungent New World fruit he found instead.
What is a peppercorn rent?
A nominal rent, historically a single peppercorn, used to create a legally binding tenancy without a real payment.